My last film about Palestine explores why the United States, a supposed bastion of freedom, encourages Israel’s longtime oppression of the Palestinian people. Free Palestine!
Joe Biden and Donald Trump are far from the first US presidents to stand by the nation of Israel, no matter what it does, even in the face of opposition from the American public. Why?
Emmy Award–winning Israeli filmmaker and journalist Maya Zinshtein’s 2021 documentary ’Til Kingdom Come offers a deep dive into one strand of explanation: evangelical Christians in the United States have teamed up with Israeli right-wingers in an absolutely terrifying unholy alliance that has geopolitical implications that should worry everyone, believer or not.
It’s a sordid tale of political power, big bucks, endemic corruption, and religious delusion… and it’s all happening out in the open. The upshot is that American evangelicals, with the power of the Washington establishment behind them, are actively working toward bringing about the end of the world… that is, the Biblical end times. And in doing so, they prop up Israel’s apartheid policies toward the Palestinians.
It was terrifying to see it laid out so plainly in this film almost three years ago, and it’s even more so today, when we see the boldness of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Palestine, and its confidence in the backing of the world’s remaining superpower. I wish I could see a way out of this.
US: rent/buy on Prime and Apple TV
UK: stream on BBC iPlayer (for one more month)
See ’Til Kingdom Come at Letterboxd for more viewing options.
